HHP 535: Exercise Testing and Prescription - Chapter 10-12 Review

This assignment provides a comprehensive review of key concepts related to flexibility and balance, focusing on how they are affected by aging and physical activity. It explores the reasons behind decreased flexibility in older individuals, the impact of exercise and inactivity on flexibility, and the potential for excessive flexibility. The assignment delves into different stretching methods, highlighting the best approaches for improving range of motion and discussing the role of stretching in injury prevention and performance enhancement. It clarifies the differences between static, dynamic, and functional balance, and explains the interplay of visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems in maintaining balance. Furthermore, the review examines how aging affects balance and outlines specific physical activities and exercise prescriptions for improving balance in older adults, supported by relevant bibliography.

HHP 535: Exercise Testing and Prescription
Chapter 10/11/12 Review Questions
1. Why do older individuals tend to be less flexible than younger people?
Answer: With age the muscles becomes more stiff, so the movement of joints also
becomes slow and less flexible due to the decrease in the amount of lubricating fluid
inside the joints, as a result it leads to thickening of the cartilages. The ligaments and
tendons also shortens and there is not of flexibility, which restricts the free and smooth
movement of the joints.
2. How does physical activity and inactivity affect flexibility?
Answer: Flexibility of the muscles depends on the physical activity of the individual, the
more they are involved in physical work, their muscles will be active and flexible.
Exercise also improves the oxygen flow in the muscles. However, with age, people tend
to live a sedentary life, without much physical activity or hard work, which makes their
muscles and joints to become stiff, as a result losing their flexibility. Moreover, there is
less oxygen within the muscles, which leads to muscle fatigue.
3. Can a person develop too much flexibility?
Answer: Yes it is possible to develop too much flexibility, if the person is involved in
yoga practice. Flexibility can hurt a person if their muscles are not too strong. This
condition is also called ‘hypermobility’ and it can cause harm and injury to the muscles
through breaking of ligaments
4. Which method of stretching is best for improving range of motion?
Answer: Stretching improves the flexibility and the range of motion of the joints. The
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation stretching technique is effective for
improving the range of motion, other than this, the dynamic stretching can also be
followed for improving the range of motion by continuous movement of the muscles.
5. Does stretching prevent injury and improve physical performance?
Answer: Stretching helps in reducing the risk of injury as it helps in expanding the range
of motion of the muscles, increasing the limit to which it can move, thus reducing the
chance of injuries. Before performing any physical activity, it is important to do

stretching of arms and legs as it increases the flow of oxygen into the muscles, helps in
warming of the muscles and reduces the stiffness, which can give rise to muscles strain.
Stretching also improves the physical performance of the individual as it helps in
improving the circulation of flood, thus leading to less muscle fatigue. It also helps in
increasing the range of motion, improves flexibility.
6. How long should a stretching exercise be held?
Answer: A stretching exercise should be held for minimum 10-12 seconds, which is
enough to feel the stretch in the muscles, also making sure that there is no sensation of
pain in the muscles. It is found that, for a normal healthy person, stretching for 30-60
seconds and repeating twice or thrice improve muscle activity.
7. What is the difference between static, dynamic, and functional balance?
Answer: Static balance is a kind of balance, which helps to keep the body in a fixed
position. It is is the ability of the person to maintain an equilibrium or fixed posture
having the center of mass over the base of support and the body at rest.
In dynamic balance the body posture is not maintained in a stable position, rather it is
oriented at a vertical position of the center of gravity around the supporting base of
support. Functional balance is the combined effect of both the static and functional
balanced and helps in improving the quality of life by allowing the person to perform the
daily activities.
8. Explain how the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular (inner ear) systems interact to
maintain and control balance.
Answer: The visual system and the vestibular system works in co-ordination for
maintaining the balance of the body. The visual system helps in the steady positioning of
head and prevents blurring of vision as the head moves. Proprioception helps in
maintaining the balance of the body when in space by keeping the body’s line of gravity
within the base of support. Cochlea present in the inner ear helps in maintain postural
equilibrium, also helps in the coordination and synchronization of head and eye
movements.
9. Describe how aging affects balance.
Answer: With age the sensory and motor nervous system deteriorates, which alters the
pattern of muscle activation which in turn affects the body balance in the elder persons.

Moreover, with age the muscle flexibility also loses, there is blurring of vision and
damage of the inner ear. All these factors together impairs the body balance of the
individual.
10. What types of physical activities can be used to improve balance? Develop a general
exercise prescription for improving balance for an older adult.
Answer: Body balance can be improved by exercise or performing physical activities.
Standing on one leg and raising the other leg to the side can help in improving balance.
Apart from this doing yoga or tai-chi or various types of lower body exercise like
squatting helps in improving body balancing.
The elder people needs to get engaged in moderate exercise which helps in maintaining
their body balance such as tight rope walking, wall push-ups, back or side leg raising.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Heyward, V., & Gibson, A. (2014). Advanced fitness assessment and exercise
prescription. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.